De Profundis
by OMG-Orlaith
Summary: De Profundis- "Out of the depths of misery or dejection." Castiel Winchester is a hunter. When his only brother is raised from hell by a man by the name of Dean, claiming to be an angel, Cas discovers that Sam was raised from hell for a very important reason. AU.


"Crap. CRAP," Bobby swears under his breath. "Cas, grab your weapons. Demon-killing knife, salt, holy water...anything you can get your hands on."

Cas, appearing almost tranquil, responds. "I see no reason to panic, Bobby. YOU summoned it. You are ready for it."

"I didn't think that the summoning would really _work_, idjit." Bobby mutters. "Better brace yourself."

While Bobby chooses a vial of Holy Water and a shotgun, Cas selects a sleek, silver knife from the table and runs one finger against its sharp edge. The knife leaves a thin line on his skin, and as blood wells up, he wipes it away with the sleeve of his trenchcoat.

"It's sharp, Bobby, so it should get the deed done. Provided, of course, that this creature really _is _a demon-"

He is interrupted by the door of the barn swinging open. The force of the blow tears the door from its hinges, and still the wind doesn't cease. The lights flicker violently, showering Cas and Bobby with red-hot sparks. For the first time, Cas shows signs of fear.

A figure wearing jeans and a jacket makes his way slowly inside, surveying his surroundings with mild interest. His gaze meets the two hunters', and he's just about to open his mouth when Bobby aims and fires, the bullet leaving a bloody, gaping hole in the man's forehead.

"Ouch. Looks like somebody's, well, jumping the gun." The man smirks as his skin stitches back together, which leave just the slightest red tinge to his skin where the bullet had been just moments before. "I'm not the bad guys here."

"Who are you?" Cas questions emotionlessly.

"My name is Dean."

"And you're an angel? An angel of the Lord?" Bobby's face is twisted into a mixture of intense fear and...anticipation? Dean could tell a true believer as soon as he saw one, and Bobby looked like the kind of man who'd waited his entire life to see this. Not just to see an angel, just to see a sign that there's another power out there, something good amongst all this evil. Castiel, however, would take a little more convincing.

"Bobby, there is no such thing as angels."

"Cas." Bobby pleads. "Who else could pull Sam from Hell?"

"He's right, Cas." Dean grins upon saying Cas' name, provoking anger in the hunter. "Who else? Certainly not you. You tried and tried, even offered yourself to that demon Crowley, and yet Sam rotted and burned in hell for months."

With one fluid movement, Cas slashes the knife across Dean's throat. A gory gash, deep enough to kill any demon Cas had ever seen, leaves Dean's throat torn. He frowns, and as the wound begins to heal (slower, this time) he appears a bit more frustrated.

"Quit it, Cas, for your own good."

A moment of silence passes before anyone speaks again. This time, Cas has regained his composure, and has returned to his cool and determined mindset.

"Why did you save him?"

Dean raises his eyebrows.

"That wasn't the question I was expecting from you, Castiel."

"Answer it."

With a shrug, Dean continues.

"Whatever. It's all the same to me. I rescued him because of _you. _You, believe it or not, are very important to us. Well, not so much for me, but for the Man Upstairs. Without Sam, you weren't functioning. So, easy solution, wasn't it? Wham, bam, Sam's back. Cas begins to regain any shreds of sanity he possessed before and hey presto! The plan works."

"You think _this_ is sane?" Cas asks incredulously.

"Point taken." Dean replies. "But you're better than before. And now you can get to work."

"What's God's plan then, Angel?"

"Don't call me angel. Call me Dean. And do I look like the sort of angel who'd know that kind of information? No, buddy. I'm just a messenger of sorts. God's representative for earth, that kind of stuff."

"So...give us the message." Cas demands, losing his patience.

"You're going to have to find that out on your own, darling."


End file.
